Retractable soot blower of the long-travel trolley supported type



1954 LE ROY 5. DE MART RETRACTABLE SOOT BLOWER OF THE LONG-TRAVEL TROLLEY SUPPORTED TYPE 2 Sheets$heet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1951 INVENTOR. J 6 \5. J's/V427 1 LE ROY 5. DE MART RETRACTABLE SOOT BLOWER OF THE LONG-TRAVEL TROLLEY SUPPORTED TYPE Feb.16,l954

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1951 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 16, 1954 RETRACTABLE SOOT BLOWER OF THE LONG-TRAVEL TROLLEY SUPPORTED TYPE Le Roy S. De Mart, Lancaster, Ohio, assignor to Diamond Power Specialty Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Application February 7,1951, serial No. 209,769

1 The present invention relates to the construction of cleaning devices of the so-called "soot blower type, for cleansing the heat exchanging surfaces of boilers and the like by discharging thereagainst a suitable fluid such as steam or An important object of the invention is to provide improved supporting means for such a soot blower of the long-retracting type. Long retracting soot blowers are commonly constructedin the form of a slidable blower lance tube which is projectable through the wall and into the interior of the boiler setting during the performance of its blowing operations, and retractable from the setting, or to a relatively protected position, when not operating, in order to shield the blower element against the deteriorating efiects of the high temperatures present in the boiler. It is common to suspend such a blower lance tube from a beam by means of a trolley which serves as an actuating device and supports the rear end of the lance tube, and the beam is ordinarily equipped with a roller type support located at a position close to the boiler setting and through which the lance tube runs during projection and retraction. It has been found that after such constructions have been in use for considerable periods of time there is a tendency for the lance tube to assume a bowed shape due to sagging.

The tendency to sag is aggravated by the fact that when the lance tube is retracted after each operation it comes to rest, while still hot, in the same position and supported only at its extreme ends. It has been found that over long periods of time such lance tubes deform and settle so that they become unusable and have to be replaced. The primary object of the present inventi'bn is to provide improved means for substantially eliminating the above indicated tendency of the lance tubes of long retracting blowers to sag and bow.

A further object is to provide improved means of very simple, rugged and reliable character which is inexpensive to construct and install and entirely automatic in its operation, for preventing the sagging of blower lance tubes.

A further object is to provide such means which does not substantially reduce the travel of the blower lance tube.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent upon consideration of the present disclosure in its entirety. V In thedrawings; Figure' 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away-,pfa long retracting blower pro 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-317) vided with improved supporting means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view upon a larger scale, showing the principal components of my improved supporting means;

Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken substantially on the lines 33 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, reference character I0 designates generally an I-beam which forms the principal frame and supporting structure, and also serves as a track for guiding the projection and retraction of the lance tube member l2 of a retracting soot blower which will be recognized by those skilled in the art as of a type commonly used. The beam I0 is. rigidly carried by suitable supporting structure (not illustrated). When such a soot blower is installed it is ordinarily mounted so that the left end of the beam, as the parts are viewed in Fig. 1, lies close to the outside of the wall of the boiler setting. The position of the wall is indicated by the broken line H. The beam projects away from the wall, while the lance tube is projectable through a suitable hole and wall box (not shown) in the wall, and movable from the retracted (and protected) position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 to an extended position within the boiler. Ordinarily, blowing fluid is discharged from the tube, and the tube is also rotated, during the projection and retraction thereof, to effect cleaning of the heat exchanging surfaces. During such operation of the blower overheating of the lance tube is prevented by the cooling effect of the blowing medium.

The lance tube is rotated and driven longitudinally by driving mechanism contained Within a traveling housing or drive casing generally designated I5 and which is connected to and moves with the rear end of the lance tube. The details of the driving mechanism contained within the casing l5 will not be described herein since they form no part of my present invention and are well understood in the art. The casing I5 is carriedv by trolley hanger arms as I6, I8 in' rear end of the drive casing assembly. The fe'ed tube 28 is long enough so that it remains partially telescoped within the lancetube; everrwhen the latter is fully projected;thenforwardo-endd of the feed tube being open so that the blowing medium is freely discharged-into.theinterior of the lance tube for delivery to and discharge from the blower nozzle 32, as will be understoodw At a position close to the wall of the boiler settingeatforward blower support is provided T0011- sisting, inthe preferredembodiment illustrated, of a hanger 33 attached at its upper end by suit-v able bolts to the beam l and extending down- Wardly therefrom and encircling the 'lance tube. The hanger support ttisprovided with an opening (ill-coaxial with and somewhat larger in diameter than the lance tube l2. J ournaledin the hangerbeneath the lance tube and projecting slightly upwardly into the opening 34 area pair. ofirollers 35. The lance tube is rotated in-one direction-during the projection thereof and is rotated in the opposite direction during its retraction, and the rollers 35 are set at an angle to theaxis of the-tube correspondingto the pitch of the helix represented by such rotary and longitudinal. travel of the lance tube, to minimize sliding contact between therollers and the tube. The rollers are also of truncatedccnic form so that they make line contact with the tube despite their angular positioning. The angular arrangement of the rollers is best shown in Fig. 2.

I also provide a traveling support soarranged that when thelance tube isretracted the traveling support occupies a position approximately midway between the forward support Stand the rear support consisting of the trolley portion. 15. The traveling supplemental support also includes a trolley assemblytii comprisinga-pair of side plates can, mountedupon oppositesides of the beam iii-.and suspended therefrom by suitable trolleywheels t5, and guide wheels E1, i-9. The trolley assembly id-carries rigidlysuspended therefroma hanger dd whichencircles the lance tubelz. The hanger 43- is also provided with anti-friction,v rollers tit corresponding to the rollers of the. fixedforward hanger 33.. The. rollers fail; are similarly disposed upon oblique axes and are of corresponding-truncated conic form. to reducesliding friction between theparts.

The traveling support it is movable fronicthe retracted position in which it is, shown in vfull lines in "Fig; 1 to a forward position, indicated in dotted lines in that view, in which it lies-close tovthe fixed forward support Theretractedposition is determined by a stop 55secured to the side of the -.central web of the-I-beam in-such position thatitds engageable by an'abutment carried by-the traveling support 4d: Such abut-I ment comprises, in the preferred arrangement shown, an inward extension" portion 56: of the spindle '5 forone..ofthetrolley rollers 45. I

Carried. by the frameo-f the ltraveling .support 4551s saslatchpiece tfiflspivoted ,uponua transverse. horizontals-mm 6 2 supportedsini arJoracket 54 and:

attached to the side plate 42. An arm 65 which is fast with respect to the latchpiece 58, to pivot therewith, extends angularly forwardly and upwardly from the pivot pin 62 toward the bottom of the beam SE! upon one side of the rack 26, and when thertravelingsupport is fully retracted arm '35 is 'engageable with a cam lug 66 rigidly secured in suitable position to the underside of the I-beam 50. The latchpiece 69 has a hooked extremity 58 and an inclined nose portion 70 at its rear end serving as a latch actuating cammingsurface: When the arm 65 is free of the lug 6B the latchpiece 68 moves downwardly, being heavier'than 'the :arm' 65, and in the down positionaofithe-latchpiece so the hooked portion 68 is adapted'tosoverengage an axle as T2 of one of the ,retaining rollers M carried by the trolley hanger arm 25. When the latchpiece Gil is raised bynen-gagement of the arm 65 with the lug 6B the hooked portion 68 is lifted clear of the spindle l2 and the traveling support iil is disengaged from the drive casing I5.-

With the parts in the condition shown,,when the motor in the drive casing i5 is energized to move the lancetube-forwardly to project it, the traveling support may move forwardly duetto frictional drag or, depending upon its resistance tomovement, may remain at or substantially at the central position in which it is shown in Fig.- 1 until the drive casing catches-upwith-and strikesthe traveling support and moves .itforwardly, during the last half of the projecting movement, Complete projection is attained when the traveling support and the drive casingrlie close to oneanother-andclos to the fixed for.-. ward support 33. It will be observed that ashoulder portion "i5 i'ormed upon the latchpiece 60 projects downwardly below thelower extremity of the hook (it, and is always in the path of the spindle l2 so that when. the drive casing catches the traveling support the spindle '52 .engagestthe shoulder E5 to move the traveling support forwardly. Assoon asthe arm moves forwardly free of l the lug fitVthe-latchpiece Eli drops .as. previouslyindicated so that, the hoolzed portion overengages'the spindle 22. When reverse movement of thelance tube is instituted, therefore, the drive casing pullsthe traveling support to the rear during the first half of the retracting movement, and until the arm 55 striireslthe lug 66 to lift and release the latchpiece and freethe drive casing to continue its rearward movement and pullthe lance tube through the remainderroi its retracting movement, further rearward movement of the traveling supportbeing prevented by the stop 55, as previously described.

The tendency of'the lance tube to sag is com pletely-eliminated by the fact that-the traveling support is always in a position'tosupport th tcens tral portion of the lance tube when retracted.-

While it will be apparent that the--preferred embodiment-of the invention herein described is well calculated'to fulfill the-objects and advantages"first'above'stated, it will beapparent that the-invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within thespiritand-scopeot the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. In a long retracting blower assembly,- incombination with a lance tubelongitudinally movable to projected and retractedpositions two supporting portions, one of which supports-the lance tube near one end and thelotherrofwhich supportsnthe lance etube -near.;the other: end-..-when said: tubeds xinythetretracted ppsition-,-.wmeansiion driving the lance tube longitudinally, a traveling intermediate support movable with respect to the lance tube and also with respect to said supporting portions, and which throughout at least a portion of the travel of the lance tube moves from a supporting position at an intermediate point of the length of the lance tube when said tube is retracted to a position near one end of said lance tube when such tube is projected, said two supporting portions comprising a front support and a rear support, the rear support being connected to and moving with the rear end of the lance tube during projection and retraction thereof, track means movably supporting said rear support and also said traveling intermediate support, releasable latch means for separably connecting said rear support and said intermediate support, and means responsive to movement of the intermediate support to and from said intermediate supporting position for releasing and engaging said latch means.

2. In a long retracting blower assembly, in combination with a lance tube longitudinally movable to projected and retracted positions, two supporting portions, one of which supports the lance tube near one end and the other of which supports the lance tube near the other end when said tube is in the retracted position, means for driving the lance tube longitudinally, a traveling intermediate support movable with respect to the lance tube and also with respect to said supporting portions, and which throughout at least a portion of the travel of the lance tube moves from a supporting position at an intermediate point of the length of the lance tube when said tube is retracted to a position near one end of said lance tube when such tube is projected, said two supporting portions comprising a front support and a rear support, the rear support being connected to and moving with the rear end of the lance tube during projection and retraction thereof, a track frame movably supporting said rear support and also said traveling intermediate support, releasable latch means for separably connecting said rear support and said intermediate support, said lance tube being movable through the intermediate support when the latch means is released, the intermediate support being movable between said intermediate position and a position near the front support, and means responsive to movement of the intermediate support to and from said intermediate supporting position for releasing and engaging said latch means. 1

LE ROY S. DE MART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 728,287 Pehl May 19, 1903 2,441,112 Hibner et a1 May 4, 1948 2,494,380 Ellig Jan. 10, 1950 

